Value setting and registering



March 16, 1954 A G RUSSELL K 2,672,290

VALUE SETTING REGISTERING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l da/m ATTORNEY MarchV 16, 1954 A. G. RUSSELL VALUE SETTING REGISTERING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 194

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March "I6, AT954 A. G. RUSSELL 2,672,290

VALUE SETTING REGISTERING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 A. G. RUSSELL 2,672,290 VALUE'` SETTING REGISTERING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1948 4 sheets-sheet 4 ATTRNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1954 VALUE SETTING AND REGISTERING MECHANISM Alva G. Russell, Stamfo Pitney-Bowes, Inc., ration of Delaware rd, Conn., assignor to Stamford, Conn., a corpo- Application April 28, 1948, Serial No. 23,847

3 Claims.

This invention relates to value printing and registering mechanism, and more particularly to value setting and actuating means as provided in a postage printing and registering device more commonly known as a postage meter.

In a postage meter selected values may be set up in type wheels within a printing drum, and through actuator means, the value set will be registered accumulatively in numeral register wheels when a printing cycle of operation is effected. According to the present invention, improved means is provided for type wheel and register actuator setting, also an actuator drive which will provide a continuous drive of the register numeral wheels during a printing cycle while the settable and setting elements remain in an operative relation.

It is one object of the invention to combine with a rotary printer, an improved type wheel and register actuator setting means, and to include therewith a register actuator gear structure, wherein each of a plurality of gears represents a type wheel value, and arranged same so as to effect the continuous drive of each of said gears and a selected register numeral wheel during an entire printing cycle of operation.

It is another object to provide a numeral register wheel actuator, wherein each numeral value of the register wheel has a gear associated therewith, and to eiect a variable drive for -said gears, whereby each gear will rotate a distance agreeing with the value it represents, and to provide a settable geared drive between said actuator and register wheel, whereby the value selected will be geared from the actuator gear to the register wheel.

It is another object of the invention to provide non-rotative and rotative members which are axially aligned and longitudinally adjustable, and which include a toothed rack portion, geared to type Wheels in a printing drum, and a further toothed rack portion geared to a settable element, to thereby provide for type wheel setting and numeral wheel actuator -control setting, and which will permit a printing cycle of operation while the said members remain in operative engagement.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of `parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it beingl understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scopeV of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the mechanism in a postage printing and metering unit with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of Fig. 1, with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 3 is an end sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the printing drum and taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing nested and settable sleeve and type setting members;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the joint between the rotative and non-rotative sleeve members; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view through the actuator gear unit and drive, taken along the line 8 8 of Fig. 3.

A shaft I I has a printing drum I 3 xed thereon and is supported by end walls I2 I2 of a frame I0. Type wheels I4 are rotatively mounted on a shaft I5, within the printing drum I3, and the shaft I5 is supported by a bracket I 6. Each type wheel I4 has a pinion I'I iixed thereto.

Registering mechanism, generally indicated at I8, is rotatively supported on a shaft I9, carried by the walls I2 I2, and comprises differentially controlled numeral wheels 2|, each of which is adapted to be independently driven in a manner disclosed in patent application Serial No. 760,590.

In a postage printing and registering device. the type wheels are adapted to be adjusted to a value which it is desired to print, and while said adjustment is effected, register actuator mechanism is adapted to be set for subsequent use in the registration of the set value during a printing cycle of operation. In the present structure, improved mechanism is provided for effecting both type wheel setting and actuator setting, and improved actuator means is provided which will effect the continuous drive of the register during the printing cycle.

The mechanism for accomplishing the above, in the order named, includes a sleeve structure, best shown in Fig. 6, which comprises a non rotative sleeve 22 and a rotative sleeve 23. Said sleeves are positioned about the drum shaft II and have their abutting ends joined in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, to provide for longitudinal movement of both sleeves and rotative movement of one sleeve relative to the other. Said joint includes a peripheral flanged and grooved portion 24-2 4a in the sleeve 23, which is adapted to be joined with an internal flanged and grooved portion. 2lf20a in the non-rotative sleeve 22. Sleeve 22l has a part of itsl joint portion cut back a distance of 180, as indicated at 22h, to permit the assembly thereof with the rotative sleeve 23. Said sleeve 231 further includes a projecting segmental portion 25 which has rack teeth 23 along one edge, as indicated in Figs. 2, and 6. Said teeth 26- areV adapted to be geared to the type wheel pinion I1 by means' of intermediate gearing, generally indicated at 21, Figs. 2 and 5. A further segmental' extension 23 is provided on the non-rotative sleeve 22, which also is provided with rack teeth 23.

For the purpose of simplifying the illustration,

thedisclosure has been limited to two type wheels and elements associated therewith, but it will be understood that' these may be increased as deaired. As best shown in Fig. 6, the two sleeve member assemblies are shown nested one within the other and are mounted on a suitable supporting'sleeve: 31|), which latter sleeve is supported on the shaft H. Further, in Fig. '6, it will be noted that the rack toothed segment portions v25 extend into the printing drum I3 and will theretore move with the printing drum during a printing cycle of operation. f.. Longitudinal adjustment of the sleeve structure 22-23 isl provided byy means of segmental gears 32, which gears are mounted on a shaft 33, carried by supports 34, within the frame I0. Setting levers 35 are also carried by the shaft 33 and arejoined Wirth the segmenti gears 32 in such manner that when said levers 351l are rocked', the segment gearsy `32` will eect longitudinal motion of the toothed rac): portions 23, the sleeves 22--23 and type wheel setting rack portions 25. The setting levers 3.51 are joined with their respective geary segmentsl 32, as indicated inv 3.

As thus far described, the structure relates particularly to the adjustment of the type wheels.

The register actuating; mechanism and the means for adjusting. same in. agreement with the type wheel settingsy now be described. A plurality of gearsr 31` of equal diameter.V are rotatively mounted upon a shaft; 38, which shaft is i supported within. thewalls i2|2 of the frame 1Y0. Each gear. 31 represents one digit value of the type. wheelsl and each` gear is: adapted to be driven a proportionate part of. a` revolution in ancordancer with the value it represents. In other" words, the gearv representing the value 1. will, move a. distance representingl that value, while the gear representing-the value 91" willv rotate a distance nine times'the: distance of. the gear, representing the value 1. To: produce this: result, each. of. the gears 31- has a. gear 39 of variable diameter joined therewith, and the ,gears 39s are driven by a` group of gears. 411 of diameters. Said. latter `gears 4.7i will produce; the. proper: drive ratio for: eachgear 31 in accordance with4 the value it; represents.. The "gearsv 41 are. xed to aA shaft 42 which has. a: gear 43 secured. thereon. By means.. `of a reduction gear: drive 441, best indicated in l, 2 and 4, a drivel for: the; gear 43 isy effected from a pinion 4l fixed to; the: drum shaft Izl, and is so arranged that the gears. 31 are continuously driven during the; full revolution of. the printing drum. This latter conditionV adds an `important contribution to the operation of a postage metering device, in that the continuous drive of the actuator gears during the complete printing cycle permits far slower and uninterrupted operation than has ever been attained before in a postage meter.

A cyclical drive is provided for the drum shaft tl throughs. clutch commotion Han` with a power drive of a metered mail machine in a 'manner disclosed in Patent 2,141,119.

A settable pinion 46 is adapted to be longitudinally adjusted along a splined shaft 41, which shaft is rotatively mounted within the end walls I'2--i2. Said pinion 46 has a grooved hub portion 43', which is adapted to be engaged by a yoke 49; The yoke 43 extends upwardly from a sleeve 5U, which sleeve is adapted to slide on a shaft 4|) and has a rack toothed portion 5| along the lower edge thereof. A second settable pinion structure indicated generally at 46a, Fig. 3, is provided for the second denominational value, but is otherwise the same as that justv described.. By observance of Fig. 3, it will be seen that mdditizmol settable pinion. structures. could be conveniently pitioned around. the actuator gears 31.v

\ A gear segment52 is fixed to a. tube '53, winch tube also. has a gear segment 54 xed. to its other end. There are as many gear segment and tube assemblies as there are setting levers, which aasemblies are nested as shown in Fig. Stand are supported on a shaft carried by brackets 4'5S- 56. The. gear segments 54 are ladapted to mesh with the segments 32. Therefore, when adjustment of a setting lever 35 effected. the gear segments 32, 54 and 52 associated therewith. will be rocked to thus adjust the rack il and pinion 46 longitudinally along the` shaft 41, relaitive to the gears 31.

A drive is provided between eachi splined. shaft 41 and assocatedregister Amimeral wheels 2t. which drive comprises. a pinion 5.6 fixedV to each of said splined shafts 41, and intermediate gearing, generally indicated at 51. Said intermediate gearing includesy gears 51a rotatively mounted on. shaft 3B, and4 compound gear members. 51h.. 51e, mounted on a shaft 58. TheV intermediate gears 51e mesh with associatedgears 2te, which form a party of theregister numeral. wheel. drive. Transfer from a numeral wheel of lower to n higher order is effected by means of Geneva piniorrsA 58.

Aligner means is provided, as. best shown 'in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein an aligner bar 301 extends downwardly from the bridging end4 of. aiu-shaped element. Said element is pivotally mounted on a rod El. and has its arms turned downwardly as at 62, which arms are joined by a4 short rod 63. A vertically disposed, bor `64 ispivfoted at its lower end as at 55. near the base of the frame i0-, and has, a. roller 6i thereon. Said rollerv il urged4 into a groove 6.1.A of a cam member 33 on the drum` shaft 1|,.by meansof a spring i8.. The upper side edge is normally maintained against the short rodfi: by meansl of afspring 1l.,` `Wham therefore, the drum shatt.. is. rotated, the roller 66. is forced out of the notch. G1 to thereby' rock the` har 54 Land,` through contactk with `tho rrod 63, will rock the U-shaped element in accontenclockwise direction to remove the aligner har Go from. engagement between the teeth. of the actuator gears 31... Ait the completion-of a Lucie of operation, the roller 65 will again. be uned into the; notch 61'.. thus efliecting the return o! the aligner bar Il to ai tooth: aligning posttion. This will: also effect alignment of the mmxerds on. the numeral wheelsM.

During each printing cycle of operation therefore, each actuator gear 31 will be driven a variable distance to effect the drive of predetermined numeral wheels 2l a distance determined by the adjusted position of the pinions 46 relative to selected gears 31, and the drive will be continuous throughout the entire cycle.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A valuating drive for the totalizer of a postage meter comprising a pair of parallel shafts, one of which is a drive shaft and the other of which is an idle shaft; and pairs of meshing unmutilated valuating gears, one gear o1' each pair mounted on said drive shaft to be driven thereby and the other being mounted for rotation on the idle shaft, the gears on one shaft having decreasing pitch diameters and the gears on the other shaft having increasing pitch diameters depending on the value represented by each pair, the total of the pitch diameters of each pair being the same as that of each other pair, each pair of meshed gears having an actuator gear driven by it, all said actuator gears having the same pitch diameter, the ratio of each pair of gears with its respective actuator gear being different from Athe others and the ratios being proportional to the values of 1 to 9 inelusive.

2. A valuating drive for the totalizer of a postage meter comprising a pair of parallel shafts, one of which is a drive shaft and the other of which is an idle shaft; and pairs of meshing unmutilated valuating gears, one gear of each pair mounted on said drive shaft to be driven thereby and the other being mounted for rotation on the idle shaft, the gears on one shaft having decreasing pitch diameters and the gears on the other shaft having increasing pitch diameters depending on the value represented by each pair, the total of the pitch diameters of each pair being the same as that of each other pair, each pair of meshed gears having an actuator gear driven by it and coaxial with the idle shaft, all said actuator gears having the same pitch diameter, the ratio of each pair of gears with its respective actuator gear being different from the others and the ratios being proportional to the values of 1 to 9 inclusive.

3. A Valuating drive for the totalizer of a postage meter comprising a pair of parallel shafts, one of which is a drive shaft and the other of which is an idle shaft; and pairs of meshing unrnutilated valuating gear one gear of each pair mounted on said drive shaft to be driven thereby and the other being mounted for rotation on the idle shaft, the gears on one shaft having deer-easing pitch diameters and the gears on the other shaft having increasing pitch diameters depending on the value represented by each pair, the total of the pitch diameters of each pair being the same as that of each other pair, each pair of meshed gears having an actuator gear driven by it and coaxial with the idle shaft, all said actuator gears having the same pitch diameter, the ratio of each pair of gears with its respective actuator gearing being different from theothers and the ratios being proportional to the values of 1 to 9 inclusive, said pairs of gears and said actuator lgears being supported solely by said pair of parallel shafts.

ALVA G. RUSSELL.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,064 Ogden Aug. 11, 1936 774,910 Crawford Nov. 15, 1904 781,364 Robertson Jan. 31, 1905 1,431,286 Brown Oct. 6, 1922 1,471,105 Cox Oct. 16, 1923 2,005,038 Kalman June 18, 1935 2,141,119 Wheeler Dec. 20, 1938 2.306.499 Rouan Dee. 29, 1942 2,321,425 Rouan June 8, 1943 2,482,935 Rast Sept. 27, 1949 2,483,143 Rouan et al. Nov. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 185.555 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1936 

